Tuesday, 1st July 2014 - Bedford Weir, Blackwater, Qld … Day 398 of our ‘Around Oz’ Trip
Up early, for us, and on the road towards Emerald. We took Jum’s shortcut via Gracemere after overshooting it and having to make a U-turn. Jum reckons it cuts about 40 kms off the trip.
We were soon on roads untraveled and were soon seeing many freight/mining trains that seem to abound in this part of Oz. The one I bothered to count was pulled by two diesels followed by 48 wagons then another two diesels and another 52 wagons. We reckon they must be some of the longest freight trains in the world. I went on the web and found it was a bit confusing as it depends on various criteria but it looks like Oz takes the record with the most wagons of 682 using 8 diesel engines. Imagine waiting at a crossing for that to go by! So there you have it, another bit of useless information.
By lunchtime we had reached Duaringa where there was a decent overnight stop. There was also a pie van there so we treated ourselves to a pie for lunch. We then decided to push on and ended up at the Bedford Weir, 22 kms north of Blackwater. We found a good spot next to the water and, although a nice spot, it was not as pretty as Theresa Creek Dam. We were soon parked, awning out, chairs out and soaking up the sun. It was so warm we soon had our shorts on, a first for a long time. After a relax we went for a quick walk and chatted to some of our immediate neighbours. Geoff then got the fire pig going and tea was cooking. It was lovely sitting in front of the fire watching the sun go down. After dinner we sat out some more and sipped a nice hot chocolate until it got a nippy and we headed inside.
Wednesday, 2nd July 2014 - Theresa Creek Dam, Clermont
It was pretty nippy overnight again. Thank goodness for the diesel heater. Then I forgot to put the hot water system on so we ended up having a bird bath. Once we had packed up we were on our way to Emerald to run a few chores. We grabbed a few supplies. Got some pills from the chemist, got a new bathroom fan switch, got Geoff a birthday present and filled up with diesel. We didn’t get out of there until after 2pm and headed north but soon got a bit hungry so stopped for lunch at Capella and also filled up with water. We got to Theresa Creek Dam around 5pm. Wow … it was really crowded. Not like last year but maybe it is the school holidays, but there was room for us so we will stay for 2 days at $10 per night. Once again we were soon set up and I was getting Nach0s ready for dinner. Yum.
So what did we get up to today? It was chilly when we woke up so it was the usual routine of on with the diesel heater, on with the HWS, on with the kettle and snuggle back under the doona until it warmed up.
When we eventually surfaced, Geoff fiddled around putting a little more of the moulding around the basin area of the bathroom to catch the splashes. He also put little plastic buttons on the outside bin catches that were rubbing the paint work when the bins were open. I also fixed up Hualapai’s hair (my Indian doll), at last, squeezed another bag of mandarins, vac packed the meat and did various other odds ad sods.
Later we, once again, sat out enjoying the sunshine. Once the sun is up it usually turns into a lovely day.
About 4 pm we leisurely wandered down to the office/kiosk/café and treated ourselves to a Magnum each (an ice cream, not a gun) and ate them in front of the lake soaking up the ambience. We wandered back up and lit the fire pig and spent an enjoyable hour in front of the fire with a glass of wine in hand. Blue Grenadier fish for tea … it doesn’t get any better than this. No internet here but who cares, but I did get to finish off my journal.
Friday, 4th July 2014 - Cape River Rest Area
Time to continue on our journey. We stopped at the IGA in Clermont to replenish a few supplies and then on to the park to fill up on water. Whilst Geoff was doing the water I fed the ducks with the rest of the cheap and nasty cornflakes we needed to get rid of. The ducks didn’t think they were cheap and nasty and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Before we finally got going I made up a Beef Goulash in the crockpot which we put on the inverter to see if it worked with the power we were generating as we drove along. Well, it worked a treat.
Whilst we were in Clermont and we got internet we went on and paid Geoff’s speeding fine (yep, he got one leaving the Clarence River area) before we were penalised.
Onwards on more roads that were new to us and we were soon in ‘road kill’ country again. What is it about this area of Central Qld that seems to get the most road kill? The first section to Charters Towers was very uneven and bumpy so we had to keep the speed to 80 kph or less and stopped for lunch at a roadside rest area in the middle of nowhere. Whilst I made lunch Geoff went in search of some firewood and soon found a lovely dead branch that he proceeded to cut up with the chainsaw to replenish our stocks.
After lunch it was my turn to take the wheel for a while and we continued on through landscape that could only be described as flat scrub and unproductive land … cattle country. After a while the road narrowed and the white lines disappeared from the edges of the road and I held my breath when a road train came the other way and let it out again once it had passed. Just before we got to our overnight rest stop we came across a large mob of Brahman cattle being herded along the grass verges of the road. They were a pitiful sight, all skin and bones and we could only guess that they were being driven so they could feed on ‘The Long Paddock’ as the grass verges are known in Oz. It was sad to see them in such a state and can only think they had been brought in from the drought stricken areas further west to fatten up. Who knows? It was only another 6 kms on to the rest area which turned out to be a nice and friendly community of 4 caravans and 2 motorhomes. One of the caravan-ers was from Glen Innes so we chatted about Dave and Allison as Dave’s family comes from there (I think it is Dave’s family but it may be All’s as well). We said that Allison and Dave had worked for the sheik in Dubai and it turned out that the people we were talking to had a daughter in law, also from Glenn Innes, who also worked for the sheik in Dubai riding his horses and, occasionally, riding them in races. It was interesting to hear that she had bodyguards when she rode in the races as this was not a done thing for a mere woman! But what a small world, once again it amazed us how small it really can be.
It was quite a warm night. You can tell we are inland and getting further north. I prepared Beef Olives and put them in the slow cooker and we were soon on our way to Charters Towers. We passed more Brahman cattle but these looked well nourished, thank goodness.
Once we arrived at Charters Towers Geoff downloaded a new copy of the Video Studio program that had gone down with the boat … we are still slowly replacing things 19 months later! A bit of shopping and then we were on our way again stopping at the tiny community of Petland for lunch. Continue on along a long and straight road with just brown and dry scrub and bush either side of it. We passed through a few more tiny communities, blink and you missed them. One such place was called Prairie and did boast the quintessential Ozzie windmill. At one point we just had to stop just past Torrens Creek for a photo of a signpost that gave directions to the various stations in the Eyre Artisan Basin ranging from 21 kms to 270 kms up a corrugated dirt track. Fancy living 270 kms inland from the closest bitumen road. I bet they all have aircraft or choppers of some description.
Eventually we got to the little town of Hughenden where we paid $6 to stay the night at the showgrounds with three other RV’s. No socialising this time as we were all each in separate corners of this large paddock! No facilities here so you needed to be self contained.
Sunday, 6th July 2014 - Porcupine Gorge National Park
Before we left this morning we wandered over to the historic Coolabah Tree where Frederick Walker in 1861 and Sir William Landsborough in 1862 put a blaze on said tree as they were searching for the ill fated Burke and Wills expedition. No blazes to be seen as the council was currently treating the tree for disease and the bark was covering the blazes (at this time).
We drove back to the info centre to see if it was worth visiting Porcupine Gorge National Park which was 73 kms out of our way to the north. Of course we were told yes but she said we needed to pre-book a campsite as the caravan/motorhome sites were already booked and we needed to pre-book one of the bigger camp sites. At $5.70 per person it was hardly going to break the bank so we paid up and headed off. Not far out of town there were heaps of places to stop overnight, all with shade and many more all the way to Porcupine Gorge. At one time we had to screech to a halt as a large bird, probably a Brolga, ambled across the road in front of us. He would have been added to the road kill count if we hadn’t of braked as he was in no hurry. Further on there was a very large flock of Red Tailed Cockatoos. I can’t remember seeing so many at one time, and I thought they were endangered!
We arrived at the national park and found site 15, our campsite, and settled in.
After enjoying the sun for a while we decided to walk to the lookout. 200 metres away, a gentle stroll. We then decided to do the hike down into the gorge which was a 2.4 km round trip. I was a little iffy about tackling it as the sign stated ‘unstable surfaces’ and I wondered how I would go with my legs and balance problem. Geoff had reminded me to grab my hiking pole which was a great
The trek back up took 1 hour and 10 minutes and this time I counted the rock/boulder type steps which were approximately 640 in total. Geoff also checked the altitude and said it was 140 metres vertical. Anyway … I made it so I’m not ready to be ‘put down’ yet!
Back to the motorhome to make a very late lunch and a snoozette for Geoff. By this time it was 4 pm and the campground was nowhere near full so we think the info centre must get a booking fee.
Easy tea … too knackered to do much else!
Monday, 7th July 2014 - Julia Creek
My legs were fine this morning, a little stiff, but only what an able bodied person would expect. It was a very quiet night and we were up early and (believe it or not) on the road by 8am. Geoff said we would probably see some wildlife and he was right with kangaroos, eagles, emus plus cattle right on the road verges.
After we left the campground we did a short detour to the other lookout overlooking the gorge and this was a much more impressive view and made the trip more worthwhile. It was a bit like a mini Katherine Gorge. I suppose the campground was situated where it was as it was easier to put a path down into the gorge there.
After filling up at Hughenden we were on our way. What we didn’t realise was the amount of road works between Hughenden and Julia Creek. There were nine actually traffic light stops and as many with traffic controllers as well. The lights would sometimes take ages to turn to green. Enough time for me to go to the loo and drink a glass of water. Over a four and a half hour trip we averaged just 60 kph.
On route we stopped at Richmond for lunch and went in Kronosaurus Korner to see how much it was to go in to see the fossils. It was $20 per adult and $16 per senior which we thought was a bit too steep for two rooms of dinosaur fossils. Especially when you measured that against the Dubbo Open Plains Zoo which was $33 each for a whole two days and all the talks.
So we gave it a miss. But they did have a really nice lake, Lake Fred Tritton, where we enjoyed our lunch and then it was on again to Julia Creek (more road works) where we found Wyn and Ann waiting for us with a nice spot at the free RV rest area there. We were soon set up and sitting having a cuppa with them and catching up on their travels. We also found out it was Ann’s birthday so we conjured up a small present and we all went to the local caravan park where the CWA ladies were putting on a two course dinner for $10 per head. Unfortunately it was Corned Beef, not Geoff’s cup of tea, and it wasn’t brilliantly cooked and neither was the plum pudding and custard … strange as the CWA is known for its home cooking. But who cares it was an enjoyable night with good company.
Tuesday, 8th July 2014 - Julia Creek
A cold night but a beautiful day. After brekky we all piled into Wyn’s car and headed into town. We all wandered around town and bought a few bits and pieces and then Ann dropped Wyn off at the hospital for an appointment to renew a script and we went round to the Info Centre to see when the feeding time was for the Julia Creek Dunnart. These little mouse like marsupials are an endangered species so we thought it would be interesting to see one. The next feeding time was at 3 pm so we decided to come back later. The Information Centre is really good for a little town and had four short audio visuals to look at on the town, the people and the land.
We picked Wyn up and went back to camp to have a bite to eat and to relax.
Just before 3 pm Geoff, Ann and I went back into town to see the Dunnart being fed. This cost was a huge price of $2 each (Richmond should take a leaf out of their book). Soon grubs and cockroaches were being dropped into the exhibit and out popped the Dunnart to grab a cockroach and then he scurried off. Gee, that was quick but at least we did get to see him. There were more audio displays to watch, about ten … maybe more, on the different aspects of the area from the people, the seasons, plagues, the life and a short funny/joke clip on Burke and Wills who DEFINITELY did not pass through this area on their ill fated voyage of discovery. The whole exhibit was very good and the floor had an under floor projection system that showed a typical desert ground with insects, snakes and dunnarts flitting around. Not the sort of thing you would expect in such a small info centre in such a small bush town. For more information click on the following link … http://www.juliacreekdunnart.com.au/#!dunnarts/galleryPage
Onto Gannon’s Hotel for a lemon, lime and bitters. The barmaid/owner was a little different, to say the least, with hair dyed bright pink at the front. She said she didn’t believe in Dinosaurs but did believe in the Rainbow Serpent from Aboriginal folklore. She was really wacky but happy and we will always remember her and the drink at Gannon’s.
Back to camp to relieve Wyn of Kristy, the dog, and he went off for a shower and Ann and I went for a quick stroll with Kristy round the banks of the Julia Creek.
Our thoughts on Julia Creek are very positive. The council is very forward thinking and caters very well for the Grey Nomads with a fantastic RV friendly self contained camp where you can stay for 96 hours. They also supply free push bikes so that the campers can cycle into town and, of course, spend their money. That’s what it is all about after all! It is a small town with a large heart.
Played Mexican Train with the others and I won.
Wednesday, 9th July 2014 - Corella Dam (on route to Mt Isa)
Farewell Julia Creek, it was a nice visit.
We were on the road by 9.30 and heading to Cloncurry to fill Wyn’s script. Wow, a 90 minute wait, at least, so we had lunch whilst we waited.
When we got to Corella Dam we found it quite busy but found a spot next to each other. The guy next to us said there was plenty of room and hour and a half ago but had filled up since. That would be right … that was the 90 minutes wasted in Cloncurry. Never mind.
We soon had the fire pig going and had a cuppa brewing. Unfortunately, it was quite windy with the wind coming from the south and the snow fields so was bitingly cold. The sun was warm but the wind spoilt it a bit.
Wyn cooked lamb loin chops in his big pan on the fire pig and Geoff got the satellite TV working. We ate dinner whilst we watched the news and then played Mexican Train again with Wyn the winner this time.
Oh … my new rimless glasses have started to crack so I have ordered a more sturdier pair. There is not much holding the rimless ones together. They look good but they are probably too flimsy for me as I am not known for being a delicate person. We also got an email from the Tender Centre in Bundy saying the electric bike had sold for $350. We have to pay commission on it so we lose a little bit of that. But it is good it has sold.
Thursday, 10th July 2014 - Corella Dam
It was a windy night and the creek of the awning kept waking us up. What a pain! We will definitely remember to put it in before we go to bed tonight.
Geoff spent most of the day with Wyn installing an extra 12 volt socket in their van as they only had one in there. I was busy doing some much needed cleaning, especially the bathroom area which really seems to pick up the road dirt. Motorhomes just seem to drag in the dirt and the dust, much worse than a boat.
Just after dinner we had a call from Connie to update us on all of her news. Thanks Connie. Then it was over to Wyn’s van to play 500 which ended in a score of one all so we have to play again soon.
Friday, 11th July 2014 - Corella Dam
A lovely sunny day again and very nice once that icy southerly wind abated.
After brekky we all decided to go for a stroll with Kristy. Whilst exploring we found that if you took the road directing you to the boat ramp instead of following the directions in the Camps7 book, that the road was good and wide and took you to the other side of the inlet where there were some good flat bits with views of the lake (when it wasn’t busy … get in early). Wyn went back to the car and picked us up and we dropped Geoff back at the camp and the three of us went of to the other area, Clem Walton Park. I had never been to this part before and it is quite nice with toilets but with limited spaces, especially for our size. Back to camp where Geoff had the billy on for a cuppa. Geoff spent a good hour under the van levelling an old termite mound that had bent the number plate on the way in. And apart from that, that was it for the day apart from showing Wyn and Ann how to play Farkle.
Saturday, 12th July 2014 - The Drovers Camp, Camooweal
Up at 7am to pack up and on the road again by 8.06 to arrive at Mt Isa just after 9am. We split up here. Ann to go to Coles, me to Woolworths, Geoff to Bunnings, BCF and Jaycar and Wyn to look after Kristy and go to Bunnings. Geoff and I then went into the Liquor Warehouse to pick up some cider and beer and met Wyn and Ann at the dump point where we also filled up on from the fresh water tap close by. Three hours later we were on our way stopping at the WW11 Airfield rest area for lunch.
We got into the Drovers Camp at Camooweal just after 4pm. Alas, Darryl and Irene the caretakers had moved on but luckily Jeff was there. Geoff and Jeff had worked on the plumbing issues together last year. The temporary caretaker, Paul, was in Mt Isa for a few days so we just made camp and relaxed and will find our what is to be done tomorrow.
Sunday, 13th July 2014 - The Drovers Camp, Camooweal
Bacon and Eggs, of course!
After brekky Geoff went off with Jeff to sort out some damaged flag poles and then get the flags up. This took them till mid afternoon. Ann and I went off to clean the customer toilets and then swept out the Volunteers facilities. We also did a large load of washing each and it was dry in no time at all. We then pottered around for the rest of the day. When Geoff came back he came back with The Drovers Camp flag which needed the ends sewn so Ann sat there and slowly fixed it. Geoff also straightened out the bent underskirt of the bull bar which he had bent, again, when he hit the termite nest the other day. Wyn strengthened his dinette table. Snoozette time for some!
Just before lunch we all went over to the empty flagpole and Ann did the honours of raising The Drovers Camp flag being as she was the one who fixed it.
When I got the Blue Grenadier fish out for tea I realised that I had been given three pieces instead of two so we invited Jeff over for tea. The fish was lovely and moist and was delicious. Jeff spent and hour or so with us and he is a very interesting guy to talk with. Very knowledgeable on many subjects.
Monday, 14th July 2014 - The Drovers Camp … Camooweal
Up by 8am, shower, brekky then go off to clean the visitor facilities only to find June had already done them as she likes them done before 9am. Ok … so we will clean them tonight after the tours are finished and they will be ready for the morning. I did sweep out the volunteer facilities. Meanwhile Geoff and Wyn had been installing star stakes and taps for water further into the stock grounds for their stockman’s camp in August. Geoff also put in more posts for the toilet/shower sign as some bright spark had run over it. Wyn, Ann and me then headed into town, what there is of it … 1 general store cum post office, 1 other small store, 2 service stations, 1 pub and a small caravan park. We were soon back at camp seeking out some lunch.
After lunch we looked after Kristy whilst Ann and Wyn went on the tour around the drovers exhibition shed. While they were away Geoff installed a switch in Wyn’s van so they can turn off their new 12 volt accessory point. Paul, the caretaker, came by to say G’day. Ann and I then went off to clean the visitor facilities and after tea we all played Mexican Train Dominoes which Wyn won and I was thoroughly thrashed.
Beautiful sunset!
Tuesday, 15th July 2014 - 41 Mile Bore rest area
We said our goodbyes to Jeff and Paul and were on our way after a quick stop in Camooweal. We stopped for a cuppa at 11am and then stopped for lunch at the Barkly Homestead. We arrived at the next rest stop around 3.30pm and it was large with grassy areas but not much shade. We found a nice spot where we could have a camp fire which we sat around and enjoyed till 8.30. The only thing that marred this serenity was a guy close by who had his generator running all afternoon. When it got to 8.30 the boys went over to ask him how long he was going to have it on and he said another hour or so and couldn’t care less that he was annoying most of the people in camp. Very inconsiderate. As it was getting annoying we all headed indoors to our respective RV’s.
Wednesday, 16th July 2014 - Renner Springs, Northern Territory … Day 413 of our ’Around Oz’ trip
On the road by 9.30 after fiddling with Wyn’s awning that didn’t seem to want to sit just quite right.
115 kms later we stopped at Three Ways on the Stuart Highway for fuel and morning tea. The Three Ways fuel outlet was very slow as they had a terrible system for the fuel. You had to go in first and leave your driving licence then they would release the pump, you fill with fuel and then go back in to pay and retrieve your licence. It all makes for very slow progress and seemed to take ages.
We continued on to Banka Banka Station which is neat, tidy, a little green and shady but decided to continue on to Renner Springs, 58 kms further north. We did this so we would have a little of an easier day tomorrow. Wyn and Ann decided on a powered site for $30 and we opted for an unpowered site at $20. Once we settled in we had lunch then I did a load of washing in my little top loader to see if the machine would work off the inverter. Yes it did so that is interesting to know.
Ann, Wyn and Kristy turned up and we went off on the small walking track around the springs. It was nice to see some water and greenery way out here in an otherwise barren bush landscape. We were told to beware of the goose that didn’t like women, children and dogs but it was in the top springs so all was well. Because of the springs, there were a few different birds around. When we wandered back we explored what Renner Springs had to offer. A bar, tiny shop, laundry, toilets, showers and a 17 metre COLD swimming pool. What they DID have was freshly baked bread, still warm, and very yummy so we bought a loaf each.
Wyn and Ann came over for nibbles and drinks before dinner as we had a greener and more private site. They came back after dinner and we played the card game, 500, which Geoff and I seem to be losing miserably!
Thursday, 17th July 2014 - Daly Waters Pub
We were soon heading north stopping at Newcastle Waters rest area for morning tea (these morning teas are really a pee stop for Kristy). Geoff was waylaid by two ladies for help as a bolt kept unscrewing from
Friday, 18th July 2014 - Mataranka
Friday, 18th July 2014 - Mataranka
Wyn and Ann were ready before us and we getting covered in dust as RV’s pulled out so they went on ahead to look at the Stuart Tree and the WW11 hangar and airfield. When we caught up with them at the hangar there were another couple there in their RV as well. Of course Geoff started talking and we found out they were also ex sailors, Ray and ???, and said they used to have a cat called ’Raptor’. I asked them if it was a Fastback cat and it was, so it turned out we had met them at Lizard island in 2005 so, once again, it’s small world. We kept chatting as Wyn and Ann headed off and we caught them up just as we were coming into Mataranka and we both booked a powered site at the Mataranka Homestead as there was only a $4 difference between powered and unpowered. Once settled in we got talking to the neighbours, Murray and Judy form Warragul. A nice couple that came round later for Happy Hour. They said they had heard people talking about a passenger plane that had been shot down over the Ukraine so Geoff got out the Sat TV to find out it was Malaysian Airline MH17 which had been downed by Russian backed rebels with 27 Aussies on board. There were near to 200 Dutch people on board plus British, Malaysian, Indonesians etc. This was terrible news. Bad and sad. Poor Malaysia, they probably wonder what has hit them as they lost that other airliner not long ago.
As we had power I decided to pre-cook the lamb shanks and also did three load of washing in my top loader. We then minded Kristy whilst Wyn and Ann went down to the thermal pool for a dip and then we went down ourselves and had a swim. Just before dusk we minded Kristy again and Wyn and Ann went down to the river as we had told them about the bats drinking and the fresh water crocs trying to eat them for tea. Alas, they didn’t see much but heard jaws snapping and also saw a few turtles. I wasn’t sure whether they had remembered to take a torch so went to meet them with mine but they were fine.
Saturday, 19th July 2014 - Robin Falls
We weren’t in rush this morning as we were only going just past Katherine. A quick stop at the Mataranka stores and dump point and we were on our way to Katherine. I had a parcel to pick up but realised it was Saturday so it will have to wait till I go through again. We had a brief stop for Wyn to get fuel and then we stopped further north a tad to have some lunch and discuss where we were going to stop for the night. In the end we decided to push on another 196 kms to Robin Falls as we wanted to spend 2 days somewhere decent and not on the side of the highway at a rest area. It was almost a bad decision as when we got there it was crowded (weekend and a long weekend for Katherine) and there were limited places to turn round but we managed to find a spot together beside a gurgling creek. We decided it was too hot to walk to the falls today so it was on the table for tomorrow. So, Geoff cooled off his feet in the creek then had a nananap. The rest of us had a cuppa and a relax. As it was a lovely evening we ate outside together in front of the fire pig and soaked in the ambience of it all. But, if we come here again we must get in early and not at a weekend as it is very popular.
Bacon and eggs, of course.
After brekky Geoff, Ann and myself headed up the track to Robin Falls. Even though I took my hiking pole the track was too rough for me to keep my balance so I turned back. Geoff and Ann made it to the top and said it was pretty but was very rough going and I would have found it very hard. So, I kept Wyn and Kristy company and we had the billy on when they came back.
During the day I cooked a bread pudding from left over bread but, apart from that, we just relaxed. Geoff went into the creek to cool his feet and fell in so decided he might as well go in for a dip and came out quite refreshed.
We cooked dinner on the fire pig and sat outside for a while and then had two games of 500 where both teams won a game. Perhaps we are getting better?
Monday, 21st July 2014 - Dundee Beach Not too early a start but we were soon on our way. A quick diesel stop for us at Adelaide River as we were running in the red. On to Palmerston where Wyn had made a doctor’s appointment for himself and for Geoff. We split up and we went to the BTC (Boat, Trailer, Caravan) store and found it had doubled in size. It’s one of the best of its kind around. Geoff was able to pick up a new awning storage lock as a little plastic clip had broken which holds the lock in the safe position and stops the awning from deploying as you drive along. Geoff says “For many years we supported the marine industry of Australia by giving them money to keep our boat afloat. Now we are doing the same for the RV industry”. He also managed to get an awning deployment handle for Wyn’s van which had broken. From here it was off to dump the black water and then find a place to park and Geoff went off to the doctors and I went off to Coles with my wheelie shopper. I had written a list, put it in my shorts pocket and then changed shorts so … no list. I had to use the old ‘grey matter’ to try to remember what was on it. I got the important stuff and wheeled it back to the motorhome and put it all away whilst Geoff was away. When he came back he said the doctor said his fingers had got infected and he had antibiotics for them. He also had a blood test to check his Prostrate while he was there. Geoff’s fingers haven’t been right since we left Bright and we must definitely get out of Victoria before the cold next year.
A few more chores and we were on our way to Dundee Beach. It seemed to take forever through scenery that didn’t seem to change much although there were quite a few very big termite mounds on route. We got to John and Kris about 5 pm and Wyn and Ann said they got there 90 minutes earlier. Drinks and nibbles and chat and just toasted sandwiches for tea.
Luckily, we have internet here so we were able to get our emails and there was one from Bow2stern Magazine with a draft of our article that will probably be published in October. Great.
Tuesday, 22nd July 2014 - Dundee Beach
I got my July Part One journal finished and sent off this morning. I also proof read the ‘Hebe’ article and now I just need Geoff to go over it as well as four eyes are better than two. (Geoff’s NOTE… Actually that should have been 3 eyes). Around 10am Wyn, Ann and I went off with Kris to have a look at Dundee Beach and the surrounds. It is a very pretty area … it is a shame you can’t go in to swim because of the stingers, Irikanji and crocs. Ann and I treated ourselves to a magnum each and bought one for Geoff so Kris drove fast back to their place so it didn’t melt too much ...made it! When we got back Geoff put the motorhome up on ramps to level us off a bit better, put the fridge shade up and then it was time for lunch.
In the afternoon we all piled into John’s car, which had 7 seats,
On our return we checked our emails and there was one from Bob and Kay who were just reaching Katherine so we only missed catching up with them by four days.
Fried Jewfish on the BBQ for tea. Yum! A very enjoyable day.
Wednesday, 23rd July 2014 - Dundee Beach
Geoff worked on John’s computer plus did a myriad of little jobs in between relaxing. I did a big clean in the motorhome which was really dusty after Robin Falls. Also did a large load of washing and then I relaxed and did my own thing for the rest of the day.
In the evening, after an early tea and where we left John and Wyn with the cleaning up, Geoff, Kris, Ann and I went down to Dundee Beach Lodge for the trivia night. Out team, The Blow ins, was winning up until the last set of questions. You guessed it … they were music questions so I was completely out of it and Geoff wasn’t far behind. With Kris and Ann’s help we managed to answer half of them but the others did well so we eventually came in third. Still, it was a night out and fun.
Thursday, 24th July 2014 - Dundee Beach
A Nothing sort of day. Fiddled around washing mats, doing journal and reading. Geoff always keeps busy doing this and that.
But nothing to report here!
Friday, 25th July 2014 - Dundee Beach
Another warm day, around 32º. It did, at one stage, look like rain but it didn’t eventuate. When we were all having morning tea in the breezeway a Victorian reg vehicle turned up. It was a couple, Evelyn and Andrew, who are members of the same chapter (Highway Wanderers) of the CMCA (Campervan and Motorhome Club Association) that we belong to. They had seen on Facebook that we were at Dundee Beach. They were staying 15 minutes away at Dundee Forest so they came in search of us, which was nice. We had a cuppa and chatted and, of course, Kris knew of the people they were staying with as it is a very small community down here. They stayed for about an hour and were off.
We didn’t do much for the rest of the day. Wyn spent most of the day scratching as the ‘no see ums’ (midges) were really giving him hell. Poor Wyn. I gave him some Phenergan antihistamines to see if they helped him to sleep.
At 5.30 we all, except Wyn and Kristy, headed of to the Dundee Beach Social Club for dinner. The social club
Saturday, 26th July 2014 - Herbert
When we got up around 8am we slowly started to pack up. The awning was really wet from the fog/dew so Geoff moved the motorhome into the sun to dry it off. John was fumigating the breezeway, where everyone sits to catch the breeze, to try to give some relief from those little nasty biting things. Poor Wyn hasn’t had much sleep lately and one Phenergan didn’t work for him although it did for Ann. I told him he could take two as I always buy the lower dose ones. We have all been bitten whilst we have been here but it seems to have affected Wyn the most.
Hugs all round and we were off. We have only spent the last 19 days with Wyn and Ann but it seems so much longer and we have certainly enjoyed their company.
We stopped at the old Strauss Airfield of WW11 to read the interps signs and have a very late brekky. Then we were off to Herbert, stopping quickly at Humpty Doo to top up on supplies. When we got to Herbert we found Gemma who was living on the property whilst her and hubby, Darren’s, house was being built close by. They said that Rusty and Alana were away in Thailand at a wedding. Gemma was also a police woman who had done her training with Alana in Darwin. She said it was not a problem to stay overnight. The woofs, Zula and Peki, were still around and were all over us once they saw who we were. Peki looks the same but Zula looks a bit tubbier, we think. The chooks and goldfish were still here but Winston was gone. Gemma thought he may have died (hope not) and we will ask Alana and Rusty if we are around when they come back. Geoff gave Gemma our house sit article to read and we had a nice chat when she brought it back.
Sunday, 27th July 2014 - Fannie Bay
Zula and Peki were crying outside the door this morning so Geoff let them in for a cuddle. Geoff fed the chooks some old cornflakes … thanks very much … but the woofs also tried to hoover the cornflakes up as well!
Bacon and eggs, pack up and say goodbye to Gemma who was on her way out, wash the motorhome, fill the water and give Zula and Peki a goodbye cuddle.
We were soon on our way to Palmerston to pick up the bathroom vent knob from BTC. Onto Bunning hardware, to return a drill that was not working and buy a better one with a bit of ‘top up’ money.
On to Fannie Bay where we had lunch overlooking the bay and then it was on to Bayview Street for afternoon tea with Robyn and Smudge plus a dog she was looking after called Larry. No sign of Jim and we found out that Robyn and Jim had parted company about three months ago. Shame as they made a nice couple. Robyn said she had put her house on the market as she was down sizing and is moving into a town house she has purchased.
Around 5pm, when the bite was out of the sun a bit, we all took Smudge and Larry out for a walk along the foreshore. This brought back fond memories.
Monday, 28th July 2014 - Herbert
Up at 6.45 … yep, you heard right … to go in for a coffee with Robyn before she headed off to work at 7.30. Hugs and then goodbye cuddle with Smudge and we were on the road by 8.30 and making our way to Jaycar where Geoff had a list of things he needed. Then back to Palmerston to buy a decent gas level indicator so he can work out how much gas is in a cylinder. We then spent a fair amount of frustrating time trying to locate a spare air filter for the Fiat but all to no avail. What a waset of time. We then parked up and Geoff decanted what was left of the 9kg gas cylinder into the 2 x 4 kg ones and went off to Bunning to swap and go. Came all the way back (we were parked on waste ground which was the only place for RV’s and such) and found the thread was damaged so had to go back and swap it over for another one. On to the pharmacy where Geoff had put in a script a week ago. He came back to the van empty handed as they had not arrived yet from Adelaide but could arrive on the next delivery which was in an hour. So, we had a cuppa and waited and we got the phone call saying they had arrived which was a blessing as we really didn’t want to have to drive back up for them another day.
Back to Herbert and settle in. Gemma arrived just as we were settled and we went over to say hi. She seemed a little frazzled but that’s to be expected as she is pregnant and that wouldn’t be comfortable in this heat. She said that Rusty and Alana were due back on Wednesday so we said we would hang around to say hi. It seems a bit rude to prop here and then not say hi. Got back to the motorhome and found the two chooks inside, probably looking for more cereal. Luckily they hadn’t pooped and they were easy to catch and remove as they are very friendly chooks. Unfortunately, the photo shows a mess as we hadn’t yet moved everything off the bed from ‘travel mode’.
Tuesday, 29th July 2014 - Herbert
A warmish night but we have power so we were able to have the fan on. We were awoken by the dogs, not just Peki and Zula, but all the neighbouring dogs as well, probably barking at the wildlife. So we were up before 8am.
Apart from cleaning and computer work I had a very lazy morning but Geoff installed the 2 way fridge switch so the fan is now running to try to keep the fridge temperature acceptable.
Later we took Zula and Peki for a walk around the perimeter of the property and saw where Alana and Rusty’s new house site was going to be. When we got back Geoff went in for a dip and cleaned the pool whilst he was in there.
Geoff spent the rest of the afternoon and evening trying to sort out why his Malware program had been disabled but without much luck. It must be a nasty virus if it can knock out that type of program. A cool night.
Wednesday, 30th July 2014 - Herbert
Gee, the dawn chorus is very loud here and goes on for ages. We heard Alana and Rusty arrive back from their holidays and they went straight off to bed.
Poor Geoff woke up with nasty welts all over his body which I think are hives and which I believe are an allergic reaction to the antibiotics he has been taking. He swallowed some antihistamines and made an appointment with the doctor in Palmerston early afternoon. He got the scooter down ready but when he was ready to
the problem. At first he thought it was the battery but he soon ruled that out, as he did the starter motor. He
eventually nutted it down to either the solenoid or another switch inside. It soon became obvious that there was no way he was getting in to see the doctor today so I changed the appointment for the morning. After a few cold drinks of water and a couple of rests on the bed he had it going and is nearly 100% sure it needs a new solenoid. A quick run on the scooter to give it a test and he came back with ice creams.
By this time Alana and Rusty had woken up so we had a cuppa with them then left them to it until after dinner when we went over and finished off a whole bottle of Amarula between the four of us.
Thursday, 31st July 2014 - Just past Robin Falls, Adelaide River
Geoff did manage to get some sleep last night with the help of a large dose of antihistamines. His poor body looks horrid!
We started packing up then Rusty and Alana insisted we take the car into Palmerston where our first stop was the Super GP Clinic. This time Geoff saw a Zimbabwean doctor, black as the Ace of Spades and very handsome, who confirmed that Geoff did, indeed, have an allergy to Penicillin and asked if he had stopped taking it. Yes … most definitely. He just told Geoff to take Claratyne during the day as it was a non drowsy antihistamine and keep the Phenergan for night. He also told Geoff to buy a tube of Hydro-quartazone cream, for the itch. He told Geoff that he probably has to put up with it for another 4 days, poor bugger. At least he hasn’t got Measles which is doing the rounds of Palmerston.
He then dropped me off at Coles and went off to buy a solenoid for the scooter and then we went back to Herbert where I got some lunch ready. We then finished packing up the motorhome, said our goodbyes to Rusty and Alana and the two woofs and headed off. We were going to stay at the Adelaide River Showgrounds but we thought they were a little dear for what you got so continued on. We had a look at Robin Falls and the same RV’s seemed to be there hogging all the spots so we found a spot further d0wn the road which was fine and we were on our own. Geoff then put the genny on to give it a run and had the A/Con on, also to give that a run and, luckily, everything is still working fine. In fact, touch wood, the A/Con seems reasonably quiet!
No comments:
Post a Comment